Positioning means



Feb; 1, 1949. M, NEm I 2,460,671

' POS ITIONING. MEANS Filed Nov. 1, 1945 z Sheets-Sheet 1 ZJC JSEPH J14. BENE'D/CK,

I N V EN TOR.

15% ArTaQA/Ey.

Feb. 1, 1949. J. M. BENEDICK POSITIONING MEANS Filed Nov. 1, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 5555mm. BENEQ/CK, I INVENTOR.

4% ATTORNEY- Feb. 1,1949. J, BENEDICK 2,460,671

POSITIONING MEANS I Filed Nov. 1, 1945 v I 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 TJO SEPH M BENEQ/ oz,

.v IN V EN TOR.

Patented Feb. 1, 1949 UNITED ST-AT I lOSITIONING MEANS; v Joseph Mmeneaia wilmaa oaiin Application November 1, 1945,:Serialt-No'. 625,990

This invention, relates to a deviceaor, machine for facilitating welding or cutting andotheroperationsion work-pieces in which; the operationis carried out on a line running around the workpiece. as for instancein cutting lengths; of-,pipe

' 6-6,Fig. 3, looking. inthe directionoi thearro'ws.

or; welding lengths of pipe togetherz'by. the; use of oxyacetylene torches or electrical arc. welding:

machines.

An object of my invention, is to provide-a novel machine for use in-tthe field or shop and'ior either aiding hand operated equipment or mechanically operated flame or arc-cuttingorwelding equipment.

An object. of

myinvention is-to provide a novel light, portable and conveniently handledpower operated machine, of the kind described which greatly reduces theil-a-bor of carrying out welding,

cutting, or other operations in which'the work has to be rotated.

An object of my invention is to provide a novel machine capable of handling work ,of different sizes and contours, and to provide a simple and light, but sturdy machine capable of handling a wide variety of work-pieces.

Another object of my invention is. to provide a novel machine of the type described which may be adapted to operate on a workepiece-of diffielient diameter from; that previously worked on,;and which adaptability maybe accomplished in a minimum of time. l l

A further object of myinvention is to provide a novel machine of the kind described, capable of rotating work-pieces of other thancylindricalcontour. 5 d i A, still further object of my emnn is to provide a novel machinewhereby objects. such as pipes, tanks or vessels maybe positionedalong the periphery thereof to present such'sur-f-aces for coating the same with asphalt or other coating operations, as well as for reclaimingepipes, tanks or vessels. o A

Other objects, advantages andieatures-z of me venticn may appear from the accompanying drawings, the subjoined detail description and the appended claims.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention in a form I at present, deem preferable.

Figure l is a side elevation of a machine constructed in accordance my invention, illustratcdas holding a pipe which is shown in-ierosssection. U 7 I I I Fig-2 is aplan view thereof showing the pipe broken away to contract theview;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on Fig. 2, but taken on a larger scale.

line 3-3,

4 Claims. (cram- 1) Fig, 4 .is,a frag men,tary cross sectional view line Fig.5 is a. fragmentary crcssesection'al view on line 5--5}'Fig. 3. rv

Fig. '6 is. a icrossesectional View on irregular line Fig.f7is a frag'mentary 'cross 'sectional viewon line 1-1.; Fig.4 3.

Fig'i'8v is a raementar adjust; the chain in ljengthfa'ccordin ltq the, diameteroftheajrticleto beheld and'rot'ate'd. I p v Fig. 9.isja fragmentary detailview of the chain illustrated in "Fig. 85bit Shown in opened position.

Referringgnowto Figs. '1 and 2,fthe numeral Ill indicates an elongated. housing of generally rec'- tan'gular form provided at its forward end with spaced; apart jaw plates, I2 and [4 in each of which arejmounted upper I61 and lower 18 antiiriction'" fabutments. Formed therealong are spaced {apart rollers respectively mounted on shafts "wand 22, that' extend between the jaw plates l'2; l4 I Asshojwn in Fig. 1 a plurality of bearings I3 are arranged 'inthejaw platesl'Z l4 to enable the upper and lower rollers I16 and I8 to'be spaced closer together or wider apart (as shown) to properly 'a'clcommod-atefwork of different sizes. A housingffl for an electric motor 40 "is arranged abOVe the housi-ng I 0-, "a rheostat control wheel 25; controlling the {speed of the motor-40, and switch 2 '8*controlling'- the current to motor '40, being mounte'd' 'on the frontof'the housing 24;" j I The workbeing rotated by the device is shown for example, as'a length of'pipe or a tube 30, though as will later be explained, the 1 machine is capable of rc ta'ti-ngother shapes 'o'fwo'rk; The

pieceto be work'ed upon 'is "rotatedby means, of a flexible chain 32 running over asprock'et 34:

fixed to'a shaft 36 carried in the walls of a box 38, mounted for sliding movement 'in the housing Ill. The electric motor 40 and a reduction gear 42" are mounted ona base plate 44 carried by asaddle mounted "on the side plates of box 38. The power of motor 40 is transmitted to the reduction gefar 4 2 and through a sprocket and chain drive'generally indicated by 48,120 the shaft 36 and sprocket 34. By this arrangement, adjustment of shaft 36 carries the power unit with the shaft. 7 In order to cause chain 32 to wraparoundthe workpiece more than 'it'btherwise would do, and to keep it properly aligned, I prefer to provide guide sprockets 50, 52 mounted on the shafts 23, 22, respectively, intermediate the rollers I and I8 mounted thereon. The sprockets 50, 52 maybe keyed to the shafts and 22. The tensioning means for the flexible member comprises a rack 54 mounted for longitudinal movement in the housing preferably protected by a projecting tubular extension of the housing I0. In the housing Ill the rack has a yielding connection at its forward end with the box 38, the yielding connection comprising ahead 56 at the end of the rack and a compression spring 58 arranged between the head 56 and the inside of the rear wall at one end with a plurality of bearings; a pair of shafts mounted in a corresponding pair of bearings; a pair of rollers mounted at the ends of each pair of shafts; a chain sprocket securely fastened to each of said shafts intermediate each pair of rollers; a bearing structure mounted for longitudinal movement in said housing; a shaft supported in said bearing structure; a driving chain sprocket securely fastened to said shaft supported in said bearing structure; a chain mounted on said driving chain sprocket and adapted to encircle the workpiece between said pairs of rollers 1 gear 60 mounted on a bushing formed with a flange 62 fitted with a number of projecting pegs 64. A bar 6'6 is pivoted as at a, to a stem 68 free to rotate in gear 60. By the described construction the bar 66 may be swung against one or other of the projecting pegs64 thus rotating the gear to move therack to apply the desired tension ,to the gripping operations of the chain. 32 against the article being worked upon.

The rack 54 is retained in any position desired bya spring pressed detent 69 releasable by means of a handle or bar 69a. It is pointed out that by the resilient connection between the rack and the sliding box in which the chain driving sprocket 34is mounted, work-pieces (linen-circular form may be rotated as for instance of hexagonal contoursince thesprocketjcan be moved forwardly against the effort of the spring whenever a high point on the surface of the work has to pass over thesurface of the rollers 16. or ill or both, thus momentarily moving the axis of the work outwardly. When used to rotate long pieces of work such as when welding on the end plates of cylindrical' tanks or Welding lengths of pipe together, the work may be supported on a frame, having pairs of rollers spaced apart from each other to support the work, the'machine of the invention being secured to the frame in any convenient manner to engage and rotate the workpiece.

In order to enable work of widely different diameters to be secured in the chain 32 I provide this chain with a simple means for varying the length thereof by arranging one pair of inside links with -a slot reaching-from the I pinhole through the edge of the link and flatten the pin so that when as shown in Fig. 9 the flattened pin 10 is turned at right angles, it may he slipped through the slot 12 and a length of chain can be readily inserted, having'a slotted pair of inside :linksat one end, and at its other end a pair of outside links with a flattened pin extending between them. In order to increase thefgrip of the chain on the workpiece, I may serrate the edges of the links engaging the work as at 14.

Thepower and flexibility of-the machine is such that it can rotate lon lengths of tubing or cylindrical objects such astanks many feet in diameter. WhileI have disclosed herein a preferred form of myinvention, it is to be understood that various changes or modifications may be made therein,fand .I therefore claim all such changes or modifications as fall within the scope of the invention and as. indicated by the appended claims. v

Iclaim: u y

l. A machine for rotating objects to be operated upon along a line circumferentially passing around the work, including: a housing provided 9 bearing 2; A machine set forth in claim 1, and in which the chain encircling the object to be operated,

upon includes pairs of slotted links, and flattened connecting pins whereby links may be added to or removed from said chain to adjust thelength thereof, certain of the links of said chain having serrated edges onthe object contacting surface to increase the grip of the chain on the object being worked upon.

3. A machine for rotating objects to be operated upon along a line circumferentially-passing around the work, including: a housing provided at one end with 'a' plurality of shaft bearings; shafts mounted in said bearings; rollers mounted at the ends of each shaft; a chain sprocket connected to each shaft intermediate said rollers; a structure mounted for longitudinal movement in said housing; a shaft supported in. said bearing structure; a driving chain sprocket connected to the shaft supported in said bearin structure; a chain mounted on said driving chain sprocket and adapted to encircle the workpiece between the rollers and to engage with the sprockets connected to the shafts on which the rollers are mounted; power means to drive the driving chain sprocket; means for adjusting the position of said bearing structure in said housing to adjust the tension imparted to the chain encircling the object being operated upon; and a resilient connection between said adjusting means and said bearing structure.

4. A machine as set forth in claim 3, and in which the chain encircling the object to be operated uponis formed of links, some of which are provided with slots and some with flattened connecting pins, certain of the links of said chain having corrugated edges on the object contactin surface to increase the grip of the chain on the object being worked upon.

JOSEPH M. BENEDICK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Stowell Aug. 23, 1927 Lawrence Sept. 27, 1932 Smith u Apr. 13, 1937 Number 

